Tips for a Safe, Cozy Fire This Winter

With the holidays approaching and winter knocking at your door, now is a perfect time to think about those chilly nights sitting snug inside with a warm, cozy fire. However, using a fireplace takes a little work, and there are risks you must minimize to be safe all winter long.

Let’s dive into reasons to use a fireplace and then look at the top tips to operate it safely during the cold weather months.

Why Use A Fireplace?

It’s true; there are more energy-efficient, less expensive, and less labor-intensive home heating methods to keep you and your family warm. So, why would you use your fireplace?

Crackling Fires

Humans have used fire for thousands of years for warmth. One could say that huddling around a crackling fire is in our DNA. Whether sitting around the campfire swapping stories or spending a romantic evening in front of the fireplace, the flickering flames and crackling wood takes us back to a simpler time, and it’s something you can’t get with an electric or gas heater.

Heat Without Electricity

If your home runs primarily on electricity, you’re at the mercy of Mother Nature and unexpected power outages. When winter storms hit, one of the first things to go is power lines, and many residents can be days without electricity, which often means no heat. A fireplace allows you to keep warm and have enough light for reading when the electricity goes out, keeping your family warm and safe until the power is restored.

It’s Environmentally Friendly

Fireplaces typically get a bad rap from some people because they use wood as a fuel source; however, wood burns cleaner than other fuel sources, and is renewable, making it a more eco-friendly choice than natural gas or electricity.

How to Use Your Fireplace Safely

If you’re lucky enough to have a fireplace in your home, you know there’s nothing quite like curling up in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter night. But before you light up, it’s essential to take some safety precautions. Here are some tips for using your fireplace safely this winter.

Make Sure Your Chimney & Fireplace Are Clean

Make sure your chimney is clean and clear before lighting a fire. A build-up of soot and creosote can be dangerous and cause a chimney fire. To ensure your fireplace and chimney are in ready-to-use condition, call a certified chimney sweep in the summer or fall to clean and inspect your system.

Declutter The Area Around Your Fireplace

It’s easy for children’s toys, pet toys, magazines, newspapers, boxes, furniture, and other knick-knacks to clutter the area around your fireplace during summer. Before building your first fire of the season, spend an hour or two cleaning up the area around the fireplace, removing flammable objects, and putting away items that could cause someone to trip and fall.

Only Use Seasoned Firewood

Seasoned firewood is the key to a safe and efficient fireplace. Firewood that is not properly seasoned produces more smoke, leading to increased creosote deposits, which can affect the efficiency of your chimney flue and cause dangerous fires.

Seasoned firewood is wood that’s been dried for at least six months. Dry wood burns hotter than wet wood, produces less smoke, and gives you a more satisfying and safer fire.

Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Alarms

You’ve installed fire and carbon monoxide alarms throughout your house to keep your family safe and alert you of danger, but they won’t do any good if they don’t work. Set a reminder on your phone to check the alarms and test them every fall to ensure they’re working properly.

Inspect Your Fire Extinguisher

You must have a fire extinguisher handy and ready to go if you use a fireplace. If you don’t have a fire extinguisher, get one ASAP. If you’re unsure what type to get, purchase a class ABC extinguisher, which is multipurpose and will put out just about any household fire.

Go Over & Practice Your Escape Plan

Nobody likes the thought of a house fire, but they do happen, and there is always a risk if you use a fireplace. So, it’s wise to have an escape plan should something go wrong. Go over your escape route and practice it with your kids, so it becomes second nature to them. The last thing you want during a chaotic event like a fire is to have to stop and think about where to go or how to get out safely.

Don’t Leave Your Fire Unattended

Never leave a fire unattended. Make sure someone is always supervising when the fireplace is in use.

Dispose of Ashes & Debris

When you’re finished with your fire, make sure the ashes are completely cool before disposing of them.

Winter is the perfect time to cozy up in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa or your favorite beverage. But before you light that first fire of the season, make sure you take the necessary safety precautions. Follow our tips, and you’ll enjoy your fireplace all winter long without any worries.

Let Hudson Valley Chimney Get Your Fireplace Winter Ready

Before lighting that first fire of the year, call the chimney and fireplace experts at Hudson Valley Chimney for a thorough cleaning and inspection.

We’ve been serving the Hudson Valley, NY, community since 1976 and offer a full range of services.